Final Fantasy XIII 1. Prologue

This is a work of fiction based on Final Fantasy. I do not own Final Fantasy, its worlds or its characters.

* * *

**Prologue**

Fang.

Dissatisfaction.

_Fang. _The slightly melodious voice repeated.

Incoherent mumbles.

_Fang, please. _This time with more insistence, tinged with just a hint of worry.

She curled up into a ball, hoping the disturbance would fade.

_Oerba Yun Fang! _Voice almost frantic, Lighning shook the sleeping huntress underneath her, the concern reaching its peak.

She was startled awake, rolling away from whatever troubling her, hands instinctively seeking the lance she knew was beside her. With a low, feral growl, she crouched on the ground and struck out blindly and -

Encountered no resistance.

Surprised, the tanned woman looked up, her mind still slightly hazy, her movements still lacking the usual oomph it packed. As her mind regained it's usual focus, her gaze landed upon a certain pink-haired soldier, who had shifted slightly to the side, not too willing to meet a rather unfortunate end, at the end of Fang's lance, that is. Fang took a deep, shuddering breath as her jade orbs met sapphire. The azure blue eyes were looking right back at her unblinkingly.

That softly glowing hair cascading down from her hair, that delicately built face, features perfect in every sense, that flawless alabaster skin, an almost imperceptible slight tilt of her head, a tiny frown that only served to increase her appeal, those muscles that tensed with every movement, rolling in waves and coordinating those slight, precise movements of a trained warrior, that body, oh Maker that body-

'Good morning to you too.' A wry smile.

Fang's mind was instantly awake, 'Ligh-!' she managed to choke out before she was enveloped in a hug. She fell backwards and the both of them tumbled to the soft grass with a muted thud, her lance rolling away from her as her grip relaxed. She wrapped her arms around the soldier automatically as if it were the most natural thing in the word, savouring the warmth she felt against her body.

It was then, she remembered everything.

xxx

The battle with Orphan. The fall of Cocoon. The despair that rose within her heart, afraid that all that the L'Cie had done, the journey they had embarked on, the feats they accomplished, the tales they had shared, would be all for naught. The feeling of helplessness threatened to engulf her. Her, who was slowly falling to her doom.

A warm hand had seeked hers out. She had looked up, hoping it was Lightning, only to see Vanille's bright green eyes, a confident smile spreading across the younger Pulsian's features, 'A miracle will definitely happen!'

Deep down inside, she knew what she had to do now. To protect that brilliant smile, that strong faith that Vanille had gotten from Snow. Fang replied with a bitter smile, 'Miracles don't happen on their own,' she said softly. She gave the unsuspecting girl a hug, _'One last time.. won't hurt..' _she thought.

Resigned to her fate, she pushed Vanille away, right into Hope Estheim's arms. Using the extra momentum, she drifted away from the group, avoiding looking at her comrade's faces.

'Fang!' she heard Snow call out.

She ignored it and closed her eyes, reaching for the power stored inside her, the invincible power in the form of Ragnarok. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she bitterly taunted herself, _'She hasn't even called your name.' _Distracted by that momentary, fleeting thought, she involuntarily opened her eyes and looked up, only to find that -

_'Light ain't there.'_

Just then, she heard a snap, one that sounded awfully like the soldier's fingers activating the _thingy _that allowed her to jump around defying gravity.

'Looking for someone?' a whisper ghosted past her ears, a warm breath following it, making her shudder slightly.

She turned around and saw a very pissed off soldier. 'I'm not letting you do this alone,' Lightning hissed angrily. Grabbing the Pulsian by her shoulders, she set her jaw and dared the huntress to defy her.

Fang felt her heart soar at those words, but she masked those feelings behind anger, and opened her mouth to retort, 'This is my job, and my responsibility _alone_,' she emphasized the last word and glared fiercely at the Sergeant, holding the steely gaze, unwilling to back down.

Lightning felt something crack within her. Her next words were said harshly, without thinking, 'Do you seriously think a future without you is what I desire?' she snapped, her grip on the Oerban's hand unconsciously tightening as anger burned in her eyes. The soldier suddenly winced, breaking eye contact, she looked sideways. Fang managed to see the pain in her stormy blue eyes before the blonde turned away.

The huntress had no time to say anything before the unthinkable happened. Slowly but surely, a glow surrounded the usually stoic Sergeant, her breaths coming in short gasps. She released one of Fang's hands and pressed it against the place where her L'Cie brand previously was, grimacing but trying to hide it. Her gaze was still avoiding Fang's, she was hiding the pain, or rather, trying to hide it. For it was clear as day to Fang, what the source of pain was.

She was initiating Ragnarok's formation. By herself. It was too late for Fang to stop her now.

Fang tilted the soldier's chin slightly, forcing Lightning's ocean blue eyes to clash with her emerald greens, seeking confirmation, 'Are you sure?'

A nod.

Fang leaned down, and let her lips gently graze Lightning's. Closing her eyes once more, she too, reached for the power within her. As they were both enveloped in that white glow, they slipped into a world, where there were only the two of them. The other L'Cie's watched helplessly.

'No.. Light...' Hope gasped, eyes growing wide.

'Sis!' the bulky man that was Snow called out.

Vanille was squirming in Hope's tight grip, trying to get to Fang, but she lost her chance when Snow helped in restraining her too. 'Fang!' she cried out desperately, the fear of losing her adopted sister forcing her to lash out wildly.

Sazh lowered his gaze, knowing that it had to be done, 'Be safe, you two..' he muttered.

xxx

Fang felt the woman on top of her breathe in a deep, shuddering breath. Slightly alarmed, the Oerban unwrapped her hands from Lightning's waist and brought them up to the blonde's shoulders in one fliud motion. Gently but swiftly, she flipped them both over, reversing their positions.

'Are you hurt?' the tanned woman frowned down at Lightning. Concern creasing her face, the huntress quickly scanned the soldier for any visible injuries. However, it _was _Fang we were talking about here. When no gaping wounds caught the Pulsian's attention, she soon got distracted and let her eyes roam freely across Lightning's body, a smirk on her face as she drank in that mighty fine figure. Of course, she couldn't be blamed...

'You just scared me a little there..' Lightning mumbled softly, as though to herself. Slightly embarassed under Fang's scrutiny, the pink-haired woman looked away, cheeks tinged with the lightest shade of pink. 'I'm fine now,' saying that, she shoved Fang off her, roughly but not causing hurt.

Fang landed on the soft green grass with a soft _'oof'. _'Hey! That ain't how ya treat someone who cares about ya!' Pouting indignantly, she remained on her back, hands reaching up to form a makeshift pillow underneath her mess of dark hair. Getting no reply from her companion, she observed her surroundings. It was really nothing much to take note of, just a forest with frickin' huge trees, plus some sounds of a river coming from their left.

The huntress heard some rustling, and felt Lightning shifting around. She rolled to her side, facing the Cocoon native. Propping her head up on a hand, she let her eyes wander all over Lightning. The said soldier currently had her back facing her. Lightning looked like she was unzipping that turtleneck of hers. Her heart started to race. What was Lightning doing?

'The mark.'

'Hn?'

'It's turned white.'

'Really? That's awesome!'

'It looks just like yours now.'

'Hey! Lemme' see!' Fang rolled herself toward Lightning and sat up, turning the soldier to face her. However, Lightning immediately tried to cover her mark with her hands, cheeks tinged a light pink.

'C'mon now, don't be shy!' Fang said the exact same words she uttered the first time she saw Lightning's L'Cie mark.

'Okay..' the pink-haired woman let her hands fall to her side, allowing the Oerban to see the white, burned out mark on her chest.

'You're right!' Fang grinned at Lightning excitedly, 'You aren't L'Cie anymore!'

The Cocoon native smiled, 'We're free then.'

'Damn right we are!'

Lightning nodded, and turned to zip up her turtleneck sweater.

The Oerban stared absentmindedly up at the green canopy above her, wondering where the hell were they. When the next phrase was uttered, the two ex-L'cie said it in unison.

'Where is this?'

When they both realised that they had said the exact same thing, with the exact same timing, Fang couldn't help but to let out a loud guffaw, childish as it was. Lightning however, was fightning to keep the grin from breaking out from her face. The Cocoon native felt lighthearted for the first time in months.

All the urgency when they were ticking time bombs, racing to their destination, always second-guessing themselves, were gone. It left Lightning feeling elated. She felt herself relaxing with every passing second. She took a wild guess, 'In crystal stasis?'

Fang blinked her eyes.

_Does this mean..? _

'Did we save Cocoon?' the huntress wondered aloud.

'You bet we did,' came the lighthearted reply.


	2. Chapter 1 : What If?

_They had been on different sides. Should have been. Yet because of a strange twist of fate, Lightning had ended up an enemy of Cocoon, just like the Pulse l'Cie, Fang. _

_'These Cocoon people have spent centuries under fal'Cie law, in constant fear of a Pulse invasion. If it weren't for Serah, I'd have been out there too. Hunting l'Cie,' Lightning had said, 'Would've been nothing but targets to me.'_

_A moment passed. 'Well, Gran Pulse is just as twisted,' the sari-clad woman replied, ''Cocoon's a floating nest of vipers, ready to strike', or so I thought.'_

_Although they barely knew each other, Fang had confided in the soldier, telling her about her past, about her previous Focus. Then, Lightning realised they were not so different after all, for in the same way Fang would 'tear down the sky' to save Vanille, Lightning would stop at nothing to gain her baby sister back too._

_'So, that's your plan? I wish I had one,' Lightning said after hearing that Fang wanted to take Vanille to Gran Pulse, 'Wthout Serah, without a future, I have nothing to plan for. There's no way out of this mess, and no way to fight it. I'm stuck trading blows with the Sanctum, but that's no plan. Even if we topple the government, where's that leave us?' Lightning asked, as though to herself, 'With nothing to fight for? I might as well be dead.'_

_'Your sister,' Fang had said, as if that explained everything. 'You've got plenty to fight for. Think about it. Don't you wanna see Serah, after she wakes up?' she asked and then continued, 'That's you future right there. All you've gotta do it survive!' she grinned confidently, 'It's simple!'_

_'Right,' Lightning replied, feeling the flame in her heart begin to rekindle once more._

* * *

**Chapter One : What If ?**

'Hey,' Lightning suddenly said.

'What's up?' Fang replied without missing a beat.

They were both sitting side by side, leaning against a nearby tree. Fang sat with her legs crossed, while Lightning had her legs tucked up to her chin. They had both adopted surprisingly vulnerable positions. The soldier's eyes were closed, and she rested her head on her knees. The huntress was very uncomfortable, understandably so, for she was still trying to get used to this immensely relaxed Lightning. She her right hand, the one closer to Lightning, pressed to the ground, while the other she rested on her legs. Both were absorbed in their own thoughts.

'You know, what if we aren't in crystal stasis?' Lightning said softly, her eyes still remained closed.

Fang, sensing that the gunblade-wielder still had more to say, chose to remain silent and listen. She had some idea of what Lightning was about to say.

'What if, this is the real world, and we already woke up from crystal stasis, and another two hundred years have already passed?' she said, 'What about Serah? Hope? Vanille? That idiot Snow? Sazh? What if they have already gone? What happens to us?'

Lightning's voice never wavered. Although what she was contemplating was possibly the worst case scenario, and saying it out loud was most likely affecting her emotions greatly, she sounded as if she were just reading emotionlessly from a book. Fang felt like she was running around blind on the field full of landmines. One minute the woman beside her was so relaxed, the next she was thinking about the end of the world.

Fang was about to argue that since they do not remember ever being in crystal stasis, they must still be in the dreamlike world. However, she remembered that Vanille and her too could not recall their days in crystal stasis. As morbid as she sounded, Lightning had a point.

'Only one way to find out,' Fang said, standing up and reaching for her Kain's Lance. She stretched her hand out to Lightning, as an invitation to walk together. Lightning glanced at the huntress' face, then at her hand. A brief moment passed. Lightning delicately put her hand in to Fang's. The Oerban smiled, then grasped the soldier's hand firmly, pulling her to her legs.

'C'mon,' Fang grinned confidently, 'Let's see if there are any baddies to beat here.'

They walked without direction. The forest seemed endless, the greenery seemed to stretch out in to eternity. Lightning was unsure of how long they had been in this odd place, but she estimated that they had been walking aimlessly for ten minutes. She could feel something wrong, and knew Fang could, too. The sari-clad warrior was looking around warily, as if searching for something.

'It's too quiet here,' Lightning finally broke the silence. She was right, there was no wind, no chirping of birds, no rustling of leaves. There was just... nothing.

'Yeah,' Fang nodded, 'Can you feel it? Like something's looking us.'

'Observing us, more like. I just wish I could see the damn sky,' the Cocoon native replied, unconsciously brushing the hilt of her Blazefire saber, comforted by the coolness the touch brought.

The place was frustrating. There was not even the slightest rustle of the wind. Even the trees looked impossibly unreal, Lightning had a feeling that patches of growth were the exact copies of each other. It was not cold, but it was not hot either. It did not feel humid, but it was not dry either. It was impossible to describe unless you were present. There was just nothing. Nothing that felt real, except for her and Fang. Subtly, Lightning drew closer to the woman beside her, finding comfort in her warmth.

'Is this even for real?' Fang said frustratedly. They had been walking close to an hour. If the trees were climb-able, she would have done so already. However, they grew straight up and had no lower, overhanging branches to grip on to. Even if she used her lance to pull herself up, the lowest branch was still too high up.

'At least we know this is not Cocoon. Or Pulse,' the soldier said wearily. She had been listening to Fang's ceaseless complaints, and her heart echoed those worries. Trying to make sense of the world around her only served to give her a headache.

'Gran Pulse, you mean,' the huntress replied, then abruptly stopped walking. 'We're getting nowhere with this. Although I'm fairly sure we haven't been walking in circles, the freaking trees look the same all over!'

'You're right,' Lightning said, letting the slightest hint of impatience creep in to her voice. She had expected crystal stasis to be.. to be what? She had never expected to enter crystal stasis. Not in this way. 'Let's take a break', she continued, choosing a tree at random and sat down leaning against it.

Fang followed Lightning's example and settled down beside her. 'How're ya feeling?' she asked lightly, trying feebly to lift the mood.

'Fine,' Lightning replied shortly, 'Disappointed, I guess,' she added as an afterthought.

'Oh.. 'Cause you're stuck with me?' the warrior teased playfully.

'Nothing like that,' Lightning replied a little too quickly, 'Just.. I thought I'd be getting a break, after the hell we've been through. Just wish I could make sense of this.'

'Damn right you are. We both deserve a long, relaxing, relax time. If this really was crystal stasis, I wish it would look like Gran Pulse, and have all the beasties like in Gran Pulse,' the Oerban smiled woefully, 'Then I could show you how amazing my home is.'

'That sounds good,' she gave a barely noticeable trace of a smile.

'How long d'ya think we'd be stuck in this boring place?' the warrior asked, absentmindedly playing with the fabric of her sari.

'No idea,' was the reply she got. The Pulsian sensed that the soldier was deeply immersed in her own thoughts, the proof being the small frown upon her brow.

'Stop doing that, Light,' Fang said lightly, letting the barest hint of a tease in to her tone.

'Stop what?'

'Overthinking. I can hear your brain frying up from here,' Fang grinned, and gave a snicker.

'Shut up, Fang.'

Despite her words, Lightning was not irritated. She was distracted. Fang decided to give Lightning a break, she crossed her arms across her chest and tilted her head back, staring up at the green canopy. Did the light fade? Or was it just her imagination? Did the concept of time even exist here? There was so much she did not know about strange place, and it frustrated her. But the had her lance, and Lightning had her gunblade, they should be alright, right? At least, she hoped it was so.

Lightning was thinking of Serah. Did she accomplish what she set out to do? At first, all she had to live for was Serah. It was always Serah, Serah and Serah. She became a soldier, no, this killing machine, to support Serah and herself. And when Serah became L'Cie, and because of her blindness, her coldness and refusal to understand Serah, she lost time to help her baby sister.

Just before Serah turned to crystal, she had asked Lightning to save Cocoon. Lightning had promised her that, and that huge oaf Snow did too. Did she succeed, she wondered. She must have. She desperately wanted to believe that she had. After all, only l'Cie that have accomplished their Focus turned to crystal. But in the end, even if she _had_ saved the world, she failed Serah ultimately. She could not return. Did not know how to return. May never return to her sister.

She remembered Fang's words. Fang had once said to her, that all Lightning had to do was to stay alive, until Serah woke up. Those simple words were from a stranger at that time. She barely knew Fang, and yet the Pulsian had a way of making her believe in the truth of her words. Because of her words, Lightning had a goal to reach for. She had fought so hard, killed so many, and yet now here she was, unable to see her sister. _'I guess, I failed to accomplish what was most important in the end.'_

Her look of melancholy turned in to a scowl, she wished the person she entrusted her sister too was not Snow. Although he had gained a little of Lightning's confidence, it was just the tip of the iceberg. The soldier did not fully approve of him yet. But it did not matter anymore, for she could only wait here. Wait for what? It did not matter.

'Let's keep trying to find a way outta here,' Fang suddenly said, breaking the fragile silence that hung between the two of them.

'Is there even one?' Lightning sounded defeated.

'Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. But we won't know 'til we try, yeah?' Fang grinned, full of her trademark confidence, 'I won't give up. I still need to see Vanille. You need to see Serah too, right? And Hope, Sazh, even your favourite man, Snow!'

Perhaps not only laughter was infectious. Perhaps determination was, too. Lightning heard the hope in Fang's voice, and knew the right answer in the heart. She smiled and turned to face the huntress, 'As long as you're with me.'

'I'll be here, right until the end,' Fang's eyes met those startlingly clear blue eyes, 'You can be sure of that.'

Caught in the moment, Lightning spontaneously did something she thought she'd never do. She lowered her head, and leaned on Fang, resting her head on Fang's shoulder. She closed her eyes. It felt natural. _They_ felt natural.

Fang was pleasantly shocked. Although she froze for a few moments, like a prey when realising the predator was about to pounce, she quickly recovered. Taking a chance, she risked perhaps not only the delicate distance between, but maybe also her life, she put an arm around Lightning gently. When the Cocoon native reacted by moving closer to Fang, she let out a breath.

'You think we should.. talk?' Fang said, 'About us, I mean.'

Lightning was silent for a few moments. She chose her words carefully, because she knew exactly what the lance-wielder meant. Then she replied softly, 'Can it wait? I- I need time to sort out everything.' Before Fang could reply, Lightning continued, 'I know what I promised you in Oerba, but please, just a little more time.'

'You don't have to ask, Light. We have time,' Fang nodded ever so slightly, unconsciously pulling Lightning closer to her. She closed her eyes and drew in the pink-haired woman's scent, and found her own worries assuaged by Lightning's closeness.

When she felt the tense soldier finally relax in to her embrace, Fang turned her head and tenderly pressed her lips to Lightning's soft hair. 'Sleep, Light. Get some rest and we'll tackle this mess later.' She did not get an answer, but knew the Cocoon native heard her words.

Slowly, Fang herself succumbed to her own fatigue, and fell asleep, her cheeks resting atop Lightning's head.

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A/N :

Hello there. First of all, thank you for giving this story a chance. The hardest part in writing **Crystal Eternity **is Lightning's character. She is a very complicated person to write, as the balance between her fierce nature and her (less shown) soft side, is quite difficult to keep. Since I decided to make this story directly after the events of FFXIII, I have to write her in a way that does not conflict with her character in the game. I promise you though, that Lightning will change, subtly, of course, as the story progresses.

Please, if you find any problems with either Lightning or Fang's characters, I'd appreciate it if you would take the time to leave a comment. If you are happy with my story, leave one too!


	3. Chapter 2 : Terra Incognita

_Fang felt like punching Snow. She was tired of listening to his naïve bullshit._

_'What this tear's been telling me, is to not let our Focus win. It's not the fal'Cie we should listen to,' Snow said, seemingly caught up in his own fantasy, 'It's Serah and Raines. Do you know why? Because our focus doesn't matter! What matters to me, is that we protect Cocoon, whatever it takes!'_

_Vanille had agreed with the idiot._

_'Well, count me out,' she said, walking away from the group, 'If you want to go it on your own, then so will I!' she turned around, brandishing her lance, 'Let Cocoon get what's comin'. They hate us for being l'Cie, what's it to me if they die? Better that than watch a friend go Cie'th! If you don't have the nerve for it, I'll do it myself,' she growled. _

_Fang was shaking, with fury or pain, only she knew. Her brand burned her, shining a brilliant white. She cried out against her will, unable to keep the torrent of pain at bay._

_Lightning had stood in front of her, ready to fight against Bahamut to protect Fang._

_'We don't need a fal'Cie's orders, Fang,' the soldier said, 'I'm fighting this Focus to the end. We all are. So please,' she stretched her hand out and her devastatingly blue eyes gazed at Fang, 'Fight with us.'_

_From that moment on, Fang was helplessly, hopelessly, passionately, in love with Lightning._

* * *

**Chapter Two : Terra Incognita**

When Fang opened her eyes, she awakened from a dreamless sleep. She had felt Lightning shift and leave her side. She instantly missed the warmth that the soldier brought. Fang had not known that she could get used to such a comfortable presence. Granted, Lightning wasn't exactly always '_comfortable', _but she was less tense than when the burden of the world rested upon her shoulders. Fang liked to think that it was because Lightning trusted her, and so allowed her to see a small bit of her weaker side. But of course, that may very well just be Fang's imagination.

'What's up?' the Oerban huntress asked, trying to shake the lingering vestiges of sleep.

'Nothing,' Lightning replied harshly, 'I just thought I felt something change.' Lightning's eyes were darting around, her hand subtly hovering behind her, close to the hilt of her gunblade. That alone told Fang much more than Lightning's words had. The stoic woman was nervous, in a scary kind of way. She looked ready to lash out.

Fang got to her feet in one smooth motion, quietly making her way to Lightning's side. She kept her lance in her hand, gripping it indolently, but her eyes were alert. Although she had not felt anything out of place, she trusted the Cocoon native's judgement. Plus, she was unfamiliar with the dangers of this place – if it had any dangers. The fact that they were not on Cocoon anymore – without soldiers or monsters on their tail, had made her let her guard down. Still, that was no excuse.

The Pulsian cursed herself for letting herself slip into a false sense of security. She nodded to Lightning, and they carefully made their way through the forest. Fang followed the gunblade-wielder's lead, for she could not feel the... whatever that Lightning felt.

It was five minutes of nerve-racking silence for the both of them. Fang felt like she was walking blind, just stumbling in enemy territory without having the slightest clue about the enemy, even whether they existed. Lightning could feel something, it was like a ripple that travelled through everything. She was unsure if it was a threat, but she still felt something watching her every move.

Although it was just five minutes, it felt like much more than that to them.

The soldier and the huntress finally saw a break in the greenery. Piercing blue eyes met bright emerald ones as they gave each other a startled glance, did the forest end here? Both hurried towards the bright light. As they neared the change of scenery, they hastened their paces until they were almost running.

What awaited them was beyond anything they had ever expected.

'Holy Maker...' Fang exhaled as she beheld the sight before her, lifting her hand to shield herself from the sudden glare of the sunlight.

Lightning silently mouthed the words, 'Etro,' when she saw what lay beyond.

They were standing atop a cliff. What lay below them were impossibly wide plains. The vista stretched out as far as their eye could see. From their viewpoint, they could survey everything. There was wildlife dotting the vast expanse of land. They saw figures resembling Behemoth Kings, Megistotherians, and even Adamantoises moving along the plains. There were many more smaller dots, too far to be recognised even by Fang's critical hunter's eye.

As Lightning's eyes swept to the left of the vista before her, she saw the plains slowly progressing in to a wild, untamed jungle. A river was flowing from the jungle and then across the seemingly boundless plains. She glanced around her, and realised they were not on a cliff, but an escarpment. For what stretched out on both sides of them were also elevated lands continuous of what they were standing on, signalling the end of the artificial-real forest.

'Is this home?' the Pulsian asked, referring to Gran Pulse, taking a deep breath.

'Maybe,' Lightning replied, 'But look up,' she said, eyes staring at the sky above them.

Cocoon hung near the horizon. Even from this distance, it was clear as day that it was Cocoon, for it could be none other. However, there was something different about it. Something very different.

The surface of the floating sphere was completely unblemished. Where both of them expected to see a giant gash on Cocoon's outer rim, there was no sign of any breach, much less a rift or even a crack. It was a strange sight to behold, and it unsettled Lightning. Even Fang, who has seen Cocoon's perfect form, was shaken.

'Where the hell are we?' Fang asked, knowing she was not going to get any answer. At least, not from the pink-haired woman beside her.

'That's what I would like to know,' Lightning said softly, eyes still roaming across the majestic, yet wild scenery laid out before her, her heart echoing the huntress' words.

Unlike in the unreal forest, a strong wind was blowing here, carrying the musky scent of wild animals and the slightly less noticeable hint of fresh grass after a summer rain. Looking down, they saw the grass swaying with the passage of the wind, creating ripples that radiated throughout the plains. A breeze wandered by, ruffling Fang's hair and leaving it even more disordered than before.

'Did we somehow travel back time?' Fang wondered with a frown on her face, 'Or have we been in crystal stasis for so long that Cocoon has healed itself?'

'Perhaps,' Lightning paused, 'We're in crystal stasis, and none of this is real.'

The lance-wielder nodded, accepting that they would be getting nowhere by just asking questions. The questions wouldn't answer themselves anyway. She crept closer to the scarp's edge, bending down on one knee. Fang glanced down and surveyed the rocky surface of the wall of the escarpment. She glanced around, there was no other way down except by climbing.

'C'mere, Light.'

When Lightning moved silently to her side, she glanced down, then sideways too. 'Odin and Bahamut?' she asked, her glacial blue eyes seeking Fang's jade ones for confirmation. Fang nodded. They reached for their power and summoned their loyal servants.

Nothing happened.

Their Eidolons did not come to their aid,

'Apparently, we have lost our l'Cie powers,' Fang stated the obvious.

Lightning glanced down again and said, 'I guess Eidolons are out then.'

'There's another way down,' the huntress grinned, 'An' it's better than Eidolons.'

Fang pointed down below and explained how they were going to reach the bottom, to the plains. Fortunately, the scarp face was rocky and jagged, providing numerous handholds. The way down was littered with a few ledges, and Fang explained to Lightning the easiest path down, pointing and tracing a route with her fingers.

It was not a complicated or dangerous path, to be honest. An Oerban child could have made it down easily in a matter of minutes.

'Ready?' Fang grinned at the soldier, excited to be finally getting a little workout.

'You bet,' the stoic soldier met Fang's gaze evenly and nodded for the Pulsian to begin their descent.

Fang had wanted to go first so she could guide Lightning down if the Cocoon native encountered difficulties during the climb down. However, Lightning too made her way down with ease, following the route the Oerban had previously highlighted to her. The huntress was enjoying the descent immediately. She did not even try to avert her eyes from Lightning's unquestionably sexy ass. Fang grinned up at Lightning when she reached one of the ledges jutting out from the rocky surface.

'Do they even teach this at Cocoon military?' Fang smirked, teasing her friend lightly, slightly taken aback at Lightning's steady progress downwards. But once she thought about it, she really shouldn't be surprised. After all, the soldier _was_ Lightning.

'What do you think?' Lightning tried to suppress the smile.

'I think you're one amazing, badass woman,' the compliment came from nowhere, and it was what Fang sincerely thought.

Unfortunately, she received no answer. The climb down was completed quite uneventfully, except for that one alarming moment when Lightning grabbed on to a loose rock. She almost lost her balance, swearing loudly and vehemently, but quickly regained it. 'Don't scare me like that...' Fang had muttered under her breath, heart thudding quickly and body full of adrenaline.

When their feet finally met solid ground, Lightning let out a puff of breath. Fang smirked, sadistically glad that the soldier had been at least a little disconcerted during the climb down, but wisely decided against teasing Lightning.

'So, what's the plan now?' the Pulsian looked expectantly at Lightning.

The woman who normally took the lead shrugged, 'You decide,' she said.

_'Light sure is full of surprises today,' _Fang thought to herself, surprised at how easily the Cocoon native gave up leadership. 'You hungry?' she asked, ''Cause I am.'

Lightning nodded emotionlessly, she understood what Fang was implying, 'Hunting it is, then.'

Fang turned her sight to the monsters on the plain, 'Let's get closer, then we go with the flow,' the huntress grinned, unable to wait to hit some baddies.

'No plan as always,' Lightning arched an eyebrow, but said no further.

They ran from the scarp, shoes thudding on the soft grass that wavered ever so slightly. As they neared a Adamantoise, their steps slowed until they were standing side by side, staring up at the great monster.

'Fuck!' Lightning cursed viciously as the Adamantoise spotted them and let loose an earth-shaking roar. She grabbed Fang and they ran toward a large boulder, hoping the creature would not continue to chase them. Unfortunately, when they peered out from behind the boulder, the Adamantoise was still lumbering towards them. It moved faster than any Adamantoise they had fought before. It looked different, too.

'What the hell is that fucking beast?' Fang swore. Adamantoises did not roar at tiny little people. The tiny little people have not even harmed it, much less touched it. The monsters did not chase tiny little people who just happened to walk a little too near to it. It should not chase those tiny people that were evidently running from it and posed no more threat.

'Run!' the soldier pushed Fang roughly and they continued running, this time with Lightning leading them back toward the escarpment. She hoped her instincts was not wrong, and she was not dooming the both of them by trapping themselves against the wall of solid rock.

'We should fight it!' the Oerban shouted, following Lightning's lead reluctantly.

'Don't be an idiot! It's only the two of us, and we have no l'Cie powers!' the soldier lashed out, 'Or haven't you noticed that this isn't your normal Adamantoise?' she snapped.

Fang glanced back, and glimpsed the enormous creature hot on their tail. It had huge tusks that gleamed in the sunlight, and eyes that stared viciously back at their prey. There were spikes running down its spine, and hard scales lining its body, especially the legs. Its feet were slightly smaller and more flexible, allowing faster movement, but Fang had no doubt that the monster could smash them into tiny little bits just as easily.

As they neared the escarpment, the Adamantoise seemed to be slowing down and losing interest. At last, it stopped chasing them completely and turned around, resuming whatever it was that these type of Adamantoises did, when not chasing tiny little people.

The two women only stopped running when the thundering steps of the huge beast faded away.

'That,' Fang said, 'Was kinda fun.'

Lightning shook her head irritably, 'The wildlife here don't seem to like this place,' she said, referring to the wall of rock that they had climbed down on. 'They don't come near here.'

The Pulsian looked at the land along the escarpment, and found that Lightning was right. 'Well I for one am glad it's you that's with me.'

'The question still remains, where in Maker's name are we?' Lightning glared out to the plains, as if demanding and answer from it.

'Light, does it really matter?' the huntress said impatiently.

'No, I suppose not,' the soldier appeared unconvinced.

'As long as we survive, it don't matter if this is Gran Pulse or crystal stasis. We just survive.'

* * *

A/N :

Looking back at some cutscenes, Lightning really is not the super pissed off, stoic soldier most of the time, as opposed to how most fanfic authors write her. Plus, she always seemed to be more open and relaxed when alone with Fang. That is why, in **Crystal Eternity**, Lightning does not appear to be tensed up all the time.

Thank you for reading and I hope everything was alright with this chapter. And please leave a review!


	4. Chapter 3 : Vicious

_Lightning hated fighting alongside Fang._

_The Pulsian lance-wielder was too reckless, too wild and her moves were unpredictable. It forced Lightning to adapt in under almost no time at all. Fighting with Fang lacked the usual security Lightning felt. The Pulsian seemed to think herself invincible and had a wild fearlessness to her. Lightning would be launching an attack, then forced to change direction halfway as Fang left one side of herself exposed. Countless times Lightning had to compensate for the lance-wielder's audacious actions._

_It was not until one time, when Lightning was exhausted and her mind was starting to get foggy, that the soldier started to trust Fang a little. Perhaps due to her unfocused mind, she ended up exposing one of her weak spots to a monster. She did not even notice until the monster took a swipe at her. She darted backwards, but knew it was too late. She closed her eyes, cringing at the inevitable blow. _

_Nothing touched her. _

_Fang was there, in front of her, grinning her usual toothy grin. Turns out Fang was not as heedless as she thought. _

_From then on, Lightning began to trust the huntress to protect her, and began to fight more freely. She became more attentive to how Fang fought, and learned her from ground up. The Cocoon native began to understand how the Oerban fought. In no time, they were fighting in unison and made the best pair in their team. _

_Lightning loved fighting alongside Fang._

* * *

**Chapter Three : Vicious**

They had bickered for quite a while when deciding how next to proceed after being chased by a very aggressive Adamantoise. Although staying near the escarpment was the safest option, not moving an inch from the rock face and hoping for an unlucky animal to wander to them was not an option. Fang who thought they were invincible as a team, wanted to hunt some 'bad beasties', referring to Megistotherians and Behemoth Kings, to quell her boredom. Fortunately, Lightning was much more level-headed.

'Without our l'Cie powers and they rest of the team, how long do you think _we_ can stand against Megistotherians, Fang?' she said irritably. The soldier was positive Fang was trying to piss her off on purpose.

Part of Fang knew Lightning was right. The sensible part. However, that part of Fang was not normally in control, as opposed to the more... reckless side of her. The Oerban was puzzled at Lightning's sour mood. She had seemed fine a few hours ago. Was it something the huntress did? She couldn't figure the Cocoon native out to save her life. She wanted to go head on against some challenges because she felt it would quell the uneasiness between the two of them. After all, as morbid as it sounded, violence and a little bit of sweat usually calmed Lightning down.

It resulted in the both of them being very short-tempered and going against what each of them said. They fought each other with words until both forgot why they were against each other in the first place.

Fang finally stopped arguing with the pinkette when she said, 'Fang, just shut up and listen to me for once,' the words were uttered aggressively and radiated exasperation. The gunblade-wielder was rubbing her temples furiously, trying to fight the piercing headache that refused to stop.

The huntress threw up her arms and signalled defeat, 'Okay. Go on. You're right, I'm stupid.'

The soldier glared at Fang, eyes narrowed to almost slits, trying to discern whether the tanned woman was being sarcastic. After a moment's pause, she decided not to pursue the matter and looked away from Fang, turning her sight toward the wide expanse of grass.

She pointed toward the river, 'We have to get there no matter what. Since we have no containers whatsoever to fill with the water, we'll need at least a sip of water before we return here,' she said, glancing back at Fang to ensure the huntress was listening, 'On the way there, we look out for Gorgonopsids and hunt them, while avoiding the stronger monsters.'

Lightning held up a hand to silence Fang when Fang opened her mouth to argue. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, 'Please.'

The Pulsian lowered her gaze and nodded, 'Let's go, then.'

With Lightning in the lead, they made their way to the river, sometimes hiding behind boulders, sometimes breaking out into a full run, sometimes stealthily sneaking behind aggressive monsters. During the time out in the plain, they forgot everything that was between them and worked together as one, and was met with success.

They encountered a lone Gorgonopsid near the water. The soldier and the huntress sneaked up on it and attacked it viciously, giving it no time to counterattack. The two darted in and out of the beast's range, infuriating it even further by landing successful hits. Both of the warriors found comfort in the heat of battle, where nothing was required of them except to survive. They did not always cooperate and rarely saw eye-to-eye on many subjects but despite their previous argument, they fought _moderately well_ together _this time_. Granted, they did not fight effortlessly, and sometimes their movements hindered the other, causing them to lose precious time, but at least both of them did not get hurt.

When they successfully slayed it, Fang let out a victory cry. They were unscathed. Fang reckoned it was a small monster, barely an adult. However, it fought as ferociously as a full-grown Gorgonopsid.

'Don't celebrate just yet,' she heard the steely soldier say.

The huntress' heart thudded when she heard growls surrounding them. They were surrounded by three adult Gorgonopsids. They were snarling at them, saliva dripping from their gaping mouths that were filled to the brim with sharp teeth.

The three beasts were stalking in a slow circle surrounding the two warriors, subtly closing the distance between them and their prey. Fang and Lightning slowly backed away from the three Gorgonopsids, until finally they were back to back.

'Don't hold back now, darlin', ' Fang grinned despite the danger they were in.

'Do your worst,' Lightning hissed back at the monsters.

With a snarl that could equal those of her opponents', Fang brandished her spear and charged toward one of the beasts. She met the beast while it was in mid-pounce, its jaw wide open and ready to snap. She blocked the attack by holding her Kain's Lance horizontally and jamming it in to the beast's mouth. Luckily, her lance was sturdily built and did not break when the Gorgonopsid tried to bite down. Fang pushed against the monster, and with a roar that made even the animal flinch, she forced the beast to back away. Grinning viciously, she jabbed toward the Gorgonopsid. It yelped and then darted away. The Pulsian huntress saw the sign of weakness and smelled victory. She leaped and then unceremoniously stabbed her lance through the monster's throat.

Without pause, she pulled her lance out of the monster and turned to Lightning. The soldier was singlehandedly fighting against two of the beasts. She was a whirl of deadly slashes, her bright red cape trailing behind her, serving to distract the Gorgonopsids. However, she was not doing well. Her left arm was injured, blood flowing out from the ring of teeth marks. She was having difficulties facing two of the monsters at once, her gunblade changing from gun-mode to blade-mode in swift motions.

Fang let the sight of Lightning's blood fuel her anger and let loose a warcry. She dashed toward the gunblade-wielder, intent on killing her two opponents mercilessly. Lightning heard the huntress then let her guard down, going fully on offensive and determinedly attacking the _stronger _of the two beasts. She exposed some of her weak spots and the _weaker_ Gorgonopsid saw it. As it pounced on Lightning, Fang was there in a blur of motion. She rammed her lance in to the ugly mouth and shoved it down its throat. At the same time, Lightning changed her gunblade to gun-mode, firing a round right through her opponent's head.

Both animals died simultaneously.

Lightning turned to Fang, a fierce smile adorning her face, 'I totally did not need help,' she said, her eyes dancing merrily.

'Sure, if I hadn't come to your rescue, you'd be Gorgonopsid chow by now,' Fang grinned back at the soldier, the taste of victory sweet in her mind.

Suddenly, Fang remembered the Cocoon native's injury and rushed to her side, putting Kain's Lance behind her on her belt to leave both hands free. 'How's your hand?' Fang asked worriedly, bright green eyes clashing with ocean blue ones. She cautiously lifted Lightning's injured left hand and took a look at the wound.

Lightning exhaled slowly, trying to stem the wave of pain, 'It's just on the surface. I didn't give the beast much time to chew my arm.'

'Liar,' Fang accused the soldier, unable to tear her eyes away from the blood flowing freely out of the bite marks.

'Come on,' Lightning looked to the water, 'Let's get a drink first, I don't like being out here for too long.'

They headed towards the water, wary for any more challengers. Fortunately, there were none. The other wildlife seemed to be giving them a wide berth after witnessing the carnage they were capable of causing. When some of the beasts came too close, Fang just had to brandish her lance a little, and they needed no more encouragement.

They knelt down by the riverside, gathering water in their palms and then raising it to their lips. After satiating her thirst, Lightning gingerly removed her left glove, then the long black sleeve she always wore over her left arm. She gasped from the pain, and her breathing quickened. The pain was like fire burning her arm. Fang, sensing the soldier's obvious discomfort, offered her help, 'Here, lemme' do that for you.'

Lightning gazed at Fang for a moment, hesitating, then nodded slightly.

Fang removed the black sleeve as painlessly as she could, but she could still hear the soldier's irregular breathing. When Fang removed the sleeve completely, her eyes widened at the sight and she gasped. In addition to the fresh bite marks around Lightning's arm, there was a large scar, running from the side of her wrist along her forearm. Lightning roughly removed her hand from Fang's grip and said, 'It's nothing.'

Fang understood but was hurt that Lightning did not tell her about the scar before, and still was not willing to talk about it.

Avoiding Fang's gaze, Lightning lowered her injured arm in to the water. She had to clean the wound or risk an infection.

'I'll clean that for you,' she heard Fang say lightly. She nodded once, still not returning the huntress' gaze.

The Gorgonopsid had made a deep incision in to Lightning's skin, marring the alabaster skin. Fang handled the wound gently, even tenderly, but there were still a few hisses from Lightning when she accidentally brushed a painful spot, 'Not so brave now eh?' Fang said jokingly. After that, Lightning had a stony face on and refused to let any sound of weakness escape her mouth. She looked so much like a sullen child that Fang had an urge to laugh.

'There! All done now,' Fang said when she finished, 'Now.. for something to wrap it with...' She looked around, realising there really was nothing they could use.

After a moment's thought, the Oerban realised there _was _something she could use. She stood up and backed slightly away from the water's edge. Slowly, she unwrapped the blue sari around her body.

When Lightning saw this, her cheeks were tinged with a light pink colour, 'Fang, you don't have to-'

'You think I'll let you bleed to death?'

Lightning was silent.

Fang gathered the brilliant blue cloth in her hands and beckoned for Lightning to lift her left arm up. Cautiously, she wrapped the cloth around the wound, careful not to cause pain to the pinkette. When the wound was dressed neatly, the lance-wielder grinned proudly, 'I may not be as good with medicine as Vanille, but I can do this much.'

'Thanks,' Lightning gave the huntress the shadow of a smile, meaning much more than just Fang dressing the wound. She was grateful that Fang had not pursued the subject of the scar on her left forearm.

The soldier eyed Fang critically, the tanned woman looked almost naked lacking the usual blue silk that managed to cover enough of her body. On an impulse, she decided to return the favour, she tugged off her sleeveless jacket and offered it to Fang, 'You'll catch a cold like that,' she said gruffly.

'Naw' you keep that,' the dark-haired woman replied, 'Idiots don't catch colds,' she grinned cheerily.

Lightning relented, and shrugged back in to her jacket. 'We should get going.'

They got back to the place where their fight with the Gorgonopsids had taken place and surveyed the scene. The other wildlife were still avoiding them like the plague.

'We'll take this one with us,' Fang said, referring to the adult Gorgonopsid that Lightning had killed with her gunblade.

'Just one?'

'Doubt you can drag one by yourself with that arm,' Fang said.

'My arm is injured. I'm not crippled,' Lightning eyed Fang with one eyebrow raised.

'Plus,' Fang continued, it's a hunting tradition. Take only what you need. The other beasties would recognise you a hunter if you leave the rest for them. They know it's sorta like an offerring.'

Lightning accepted Fang's reason and watched as the huntress hoisted the Gorgonopsid on her shoulder.

The journey back to the escarpment was oddly met with no difficulties. They encountered none of the wild beasts. 'See? They'll know us now we have left the other Gorgonopsids for them,' Fang said.

The sun was sinking low in the sky when the two women dragged their prize back near the escarpment.

Fang put down the dead beast on her shoulder and decided how best to continue next. 'Guess we'll have to start a fire without wood,' she said. After all, they _were _on a plain.

'How? Lightning asked curiously.

'Watch and you'll know,' Fang winked at Lightning.

The Oerban huntress then began to clear the area. Glancing toward the waning light in the sky, she grimaced, 'You know what Light? Can you help me do this?' she continued, 'I have to take care of the Gorgonopsid before it gets dark.'

Lightning nodded, 'Sure, tell me what you need.'

'Can you clear the ground around 10 feet and dig a hole right in the middle here? The hole should be around 6 feet wide and 5 inches deep.'

'With what?' Lightning made a face, 'I will not use my gunblade to dig holes.'

Fang shrugged helplessly, 'Maybe with large stones?'

Lightning looked unsure but nodded, and started building their fire ring.

'Oh and, if your arm hurts, then I'll do it,' Fang said, giving Lightning's injured arm a worried glance.

'I'm fine, Fang,' Lightning almost smiled, 'Don't baby me.'

With that, Fang slowly started dealing with the carcass of the beast. She skinned it and cleaned it with the proficiency of an experienced hunter. Although this Gorgonopsid was different from those she encountered during her time in Gran Pulse, she was confident in skinning and cleaning it. When she finished removing its skin, she set the hide of the beast aside. It was covered in slightly longer and coarser fur than those she had previously encountered.

She began cleaning the carcass and found that the internal organs of the beast was largely the same. She separated the edible parts and the non-edible parts.

'What next?' she heard Lightning say.

Absentmindedly, Fang replied, 'Gather some dried leaves and grass and put them in to the hole. Surround the hole with some stones.'

The sun was halfway down the faraway mountains when Fang was done. She had decided to remove the fangs of the Gorgonopsid, which were considerably longer compared to the ones she were familiar with. She reckoned she could fashion them in to some sort of bone knife later.

Fang looked at the fire ring Lightning had made and grinned, 'You sure you ain't from Gran Pulse, Light?'

Lightning did not reply but the huntress saw the corners of her lips lift slightly.

'Fang moved close to the fire ring and grinned, 'Now watch as I demonstrate my awesome skill!' She took up her lance then split it in to three sections, like how she sometimes did when in battle. She squatted down near the fire ring. The huntress brought the two bladed ends of her Kain's Lance together, and struck them together. When nothing happened, she did it again, this time with slightly more force. A spark was created.

'Third time's the charm,' Fang grinned. When she struck the ends of the lance together again, more sparks fell from the friction and ignited the grass and leaves in the hole.

Fang cheered, they had themselves a campfire.

'Full of surprises as ever, Fang,' Lightning gave the Oerban a half-smile.

'You haven't seen half of what this baby can do,' Fang grinned back at Lightning, patting her lance affectionately.

They started cooking the meat from the Gorgonopsid just as the sunlight faded. Both of them, especially Fang, huddled close to the campfire when the temperature dropped slowly. When the meat was done, they feasted. Lightning and Fang's mood improved greatly. However, there was little talk, for the both of them were distracted. Fang's mind was on the Gorgonopsid's carcass, thinking how best to optimise using the leftovers. Lightning, well, she had already been distracted all day long.

When she finished eating, Lightning moved over to the scarp wall and removed her gunblade and set it down beside her. She leaned against the surface of the wall and sat down cross-legged. Fang joined her and leaned her lance beside her.

'The stars are different,' the soldier said as her looked up.

'Yeah,' the huntress agreed, 'They're brighter too, and looks closer.'

They enjoyed a few minutes of companionable silence until Lightning broke it.

'Fang, let's talk.'

* * *

A/N:

A big hug to all reviewers who have constantly motivated me with all your positive reviews!

A reviewer has brought to my attention my use of only one quotation mark to start and end dialogue sentences. Ironically, I already know about this but it has become a sort of habit to use it because it simply looks nice to me. I didn't think that it would affect reading pleasure and doubted that anyone would really notice it much. However, since someone has obviously noticed it, and bothered to bring it to my attention, I would consider this as an inconvenience when reading. It is my mistake, and I shall use two quotation marks in the future. This chapter was finished before the review was submitted so please forgive me.

Thank you for reading!

Cheers.


	5. Chapter 4 : Less Than Three

Fang stared up at the ceiling, eyes open but unseeing. It was dark and late in the night. She could hear Vanille's even breathing beside her. No doubt the rest of the gang were long asleep. However, peaceful rest continued to elude the Oerban huntress. Her body was exhausted, but her mind was in turmoil. So many emotions were whirling in her all at once that it was difficult to pinpoint and isolate each one.

Finally, she could stand it no more. She tossed aside the blanket over her and got up from the bed she shared with Vanille. Fang made her way to the balcony, feet padding stealthily on the wooden floor. As she opened the door leading to the balcony, it made a slight creak but otherwise remained silent. Leaning against the balcony railing, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. The air was cold, chillingly so, but the Oerban welcomed it. Too bad it wasn't cold enough to numb her mind.

Cocoon hung in the night sky at a distance, the huge rift in its shell evident even in the vague moonshine. All around Fang, Oerba lay in ruins. The village elder had once said to her, "In war, there is only the loser, and the loser." The words which Fang once scoffed at now rang true.

A soft wind rustled by, as if caressing her cheek. She felt herself surrounded by countless voices, of memories that lingered still in the air. She closed her eyes, and imagined that she could still feel the vibrant colours of her village, still see the voices of friends close and distant, still taste the cool yet inviting wind, still hear the gentle smiles on her elders and the playful grins on the children.

Something warm travelled down her cheek. Lifting a hand, she was surprised to find a single tear leaving its trail down her face.

"Fang, you are messed up," she whispered to herself.

She was angry at herself. At the fal'Cie. At everything, actually. The people here, the people of Oerba, they did not deserve to become puppets of the fal'Cie. Did not deserve to die. Did not deserve to become the monsters that were Cie'th.

Anger was good. Anger was solid, something she could hold on to. Hate was desirable too. It helped her focus. She concentrated on these two until she felt nothing but Anger and Hate. At herself. For failing everything.

She deserved this. The destruction of her home, she deserved it, for it came from trying to destroy Cocoon, home to millions of people. She accepted it, but she hated it. She was angry at herself for allowing this to happen.

A presence stalked to her side, silent yet not hiding. Fang did not need to turn around to know who it was. This cold yet comforting presence has somehow become her only anchor in the world. The Oerban did not acknowledge her presence when the soldier joined her, leaning on the balcony railing.

"I woke up and couldn't find you on your bed," Lightning remarked quietly.

Fang did not give any indication that she heard the Cocoon native's words.

Lightning shook her head, "I should leave," she said softly, turning around.

"Wait, Light," the huntress said, "Stay here."

With the soldier close by, Fang felt it easier to bring her emotions under control. Perhaps it came from the knowledge that the Cocoon native too was adept at hiding her true feelings. Or more possibly, the stoic soldier's attitude was so cold it managed to numb Fang's heart.

"The people here, they were good people," Fang said faintly. Lightning had to strain to hear the Pulsian's words lest the wind snatch them away.

"Kids like me an' Vanille, who lost our parents to the war, we were taken care of by everyone. 'though we lost our fathers and mothers, we had a good life. Really, the whole of Oerba was just like a big happy family. Even the clan names were just a formality, a tradition, to distinguish our skills. The Yun were the best hunters, the fiercest warriors," there was a hint of pride in her voice, "The Dia were the experts on herbs, specialising in healing, fighting only when necessary and usually with traps," Fang took a breath.

"In my desperation to save my own home from destruction, I almost destroyed yours. In the end, I managed to completely destroy my own home too."

"Fang-" Lightning tried to interrupt.

"Don't, Light," the Oerban said, "Don't tell me it's okay. Don't say everything's going to be alright. Everything's fucking going to ruin. There isn't a future. The future Snow keeps on babbling about? I don't believe it for one second and I'm pretty sure I'm right. But damn it, I want a future. A future with you."

"Fuck, Light. I'm in love with you."

"Shut up, Fang. You expect me to believe your bullshit? You lost hope, I get that. You think you're gonna die, and want to have a little romantic fling before your time's up. That's understandable, but don't you dare stand there and insult me by giving me artificial feelings. You're better than that, Fang," the soldier's words were said harshly.

"Listen, I believe we can beat this. There is a future, for every one of us. I promise, when we beat our Focus, when that happens, I'll be here."

* * *

**Chapter Four : Less Than Three  
**

"Fang, let's talk," the words came out softly from Lightning's mouth.

"Thought you'd never say those words," Fang grinned wryly.

"So, how are we gonna do this?"

Fang shrugged, "Haven't thought that far yet," she said, "Just go with the flow!"

"Right."

Silence.

"Light, look at me."

"What?"

"No, really. Look. At me," Fang pointed to her own eyes using two fingers, staring at Lightning with exaggeratedly big eyes, making her point more obvious than needed.

"Okay, okay, what?" Lightning met Fang's gaze with an irritated twitch, feeling just slightly ridiculous.

Fang remained silent, just holding the soldier's gaze with her own. Lightning looked at those blazing emerald eyes, and felt her heart flutter just a bit. Trying to not avert her eyes from Fang's was decidedly hard, but it became easier with each passing second. Although she was fairly sure her emotions were well under control at the moment, she still felt like her defenses were stripped bare under that intense stare. Nonetheless, she was confident Fang could see nothing in her eyes, just as she could see nothing in Fang's.

"Is this some sort of weird Gran Pulse ritual?" Lightning broke the silence, finally averting her eyes from Fang's face, looking away with a slightly annoyed look, suspecting that she was being made fun of.

"Shhh... Humour me, Light," Fang blinked, then raising her hand, gently tilting Lightning's chin up, thumb softly grazing the woman's cheek. "You aren't looking," she whispered, "Try to _see me."_

The Cocoon native tensed at Fang's touch, raising her own hand to removed the offending limb from her face. Fang relented, but kept her grip of Lightning's hand, pulling it on to her own lap. The stoic soldier frowned, clearly uncomfortable. When she glanced back at Fang, the huntress held a challenge in her eyes, "Just try."

Not understanding what Fang meant, Lightning raised an eyebrow, "How?"

Fang's lips twitched upwards, "Don't be stubborn, that's how."

"You're not making any sense, Fang."

"Look, just trust me. Okay, Light? Trust me like how you did just now with those Gorgonopsids."

After a minute of silence, Fang sighed. Lightning was proving to be even more stubborn than she expected, which was saying a lot, given how low Fang's expectations were. Looks like she was going to have to take things up another notch.

"You don't really trust me, do you, Light?" Fang stood up and walked toward the little campfire, scooping up a handful of leaves and throwing them into the flickering firelight.

"What is that supposed to mean?" the soldier remained in her position and looked at Fang's silhouette against the bright flames.

The huntress turned around and strode toward the soldier. She stopped just in front of Lightning and stretched her hand out as an invitation. Lightning grasped the hand and Fang pulled her up.

Putting both hands on Lightning's waist, she pulled the pinkette close, and forced her to meet her gaze, "Look," she said fiercely.

Lightning glared back at Fang, her patience draining away with each moment.

"No barriers between us, Light," Fang said.

The soldier's heart missed a beat. Was Fang implying what she thought it was?

"Trust me." As the huntress spoke, Lightning glimpsed a swirl of emotions behind those intense green eyes.

Lightning exhaled slowly, and decided to trust Fang.

As the soldier slowly lowered her guard, she saw more and more of the intense emotion flickering behind Fang's own eyes. She was fascinated by how intense their connection was becoming, but also had the urge to run away. Her mind was screaming at her, telling her it was _unsafe _and_ dangerous, _but her heart was telling her to believe in Fang.

"I can't do this, Fang," Lightning broke away from Fang's gaze, her mind's logic winning over.

"Come on, Light, you can," For just a second, Fang saw a very deep character shimmering just below Lightning's emotional barrier. "You know I have your back no matter what, right?"

When Lightning made the mistake of looking back into Fang's eyes, she was caught there. She was intrigued by what Fang was showing her. Fang's complex feelings were like an intricate web that trapped her with their intensity. She could not bring herself to break away once more. The soldier felt it was possible to lose herself in that maze of turbulent emotions. It felt like she was violating Fang's most private thoughts, but Fang seemed to be trying hard not to push Lightning away too.

The Cocoon native sensed a challenge from the huntress. Not wanting to back down, or maybe not able to back down, she wasn't sure anymore. Nonetheless, she lowered all her barriers. For a moment, both were overwhelmed by each's emotions. It was like an enormous wave crashing on top of them. Fang could feel herself getting intoxicated in Lightning's warmth, and felt Lightning responding to her too. Fang seized that brief opening, the moment where they connected in the deepest reaches of their soul, and tried to make Lightning understand her next words.

"I love you, Light."

The words were said with such conviction that Lightning couldn't help but believe in the truth of them. However, entirely on reflex, she broke out of Fang's hold and took one step back. In that instant, all her walls were back up.

"You're kidding." the soldier said simply and coolly, not letting Fang see how much that statement shook her.

"No," Fang said with a mixture of exasperation and tenderness, "Stop being stubborn, Lightning. I am not kidding."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Prove it." It was Lightning's turn to challenge the spear-wielder.

Without hesitation, Fang lowered her head and caught Lightning's lips in her own. She closed her eyes, allowing all her emotions flow in to the kiss, trying, as hard as she could, to make Lightning understand, to convince her that her feelings were not a lie. It was not a gentle kiss, but a fierce, intense one. When Fang felt Lightning respond, she grinned victoriously.

Lightning had never felt anything like this. Her connection with Fang was so deep and electric that she felt invigorated. She understood now, what Fang was trying to tell her. She moved her lips in harmony with Fang's and felt the instant chemistry between them. She felt the slow grin spread across Fang's mouth and felt a flicker of annoyance.

Lightning raised her hands to the back of Fang's neck, and pulled her deeper into the kiss. She bit down slightly on Fang's lips, earning a startled gasp from the huntress. With that, Lightning pulled back and smirked at her.

"Tease," Fang grinned, mind cloudy with the sweet taste of Lightning.

"Consider it a reward," Lightning raised her left arm – the injured one, "For this."

"Well, that was nice," Fang said when they were both sitting side by side again, leaning against the rocky scarp face.

"What you said back then in Oerba, was it true then?"

"Every word of it."

"Oh."

"Don't worry. I kind of expected that anyway. You're a stubborn person."

Lightning ignored the jibe, "I guess I owe you an apology for not believing you then."

"Apology accepted. You believe me now?"

"Hard not to," Lightning's thoughts lingered on their passionate, first kiss. She could still imagine the warmth of Fang on her lips. She swallowed, then directed her thoughts away from the kiss, feeling very conflicted about her feelings for Fang.

"Don't run from me, Light," Fang muttered as she sensed Lightning stiffening, "Trust me."

They were sitting very close together, but somehow Lightning managed to keep enough distance so that they barely touched. As her mind involuntarily flickered back to the deep bond she felt with Fang for a moment during their kiss, she was forced to confront her own feelings for the huntress.

A warm hand sought hers out, and Lightning let Fang cover her hand with her palm.

"Even if you don't believe me now, that's okay. I don't think I can show you how much you mean to me until minutes turn to days, and days turn to years, and I'll still be by your side."

Lightning took in a deep breath slowly, trying to form an appropriate response. Finally, she said, "Thank you, Fang. That means a lot to me."

That night, Lightning slept leaning against the rocky wall, her sleep light and troubled. Fang decided to give the soldier some space and fell asleep stretching out on the soft grass, hands forming a cushion behind her head. Above them, the night sky extended into eternity, forming an endless canopy of brightly glittering stars.

* * *

A/N:

Whew this chapter took me so long. It was so hard to understand Lightning and Fang both. Especially Lightning. Played her theme on the piano for like thirty times to try get a feel of her as a person. Even now, I'm not sure that I understand her completely. What motivates her, what she fights for, why is she the person that she is etc. Lightning Farron, Claire Farron, both so different, yet the same. Such a deep character she is.. I thought Fang would be easier to write, but she proves to be as complicated as Lightning. I guess I really screwed myself by deciding to write a fic which only has two characters for the whole length.

Cookies to HollowPanda who helped me realise that my first draft of this chapter was (my words) total bullshit. Thank you for saving the readers' eyes from burning from such utter nonsense.

To my embarrassment, I admit that I have totally forgotten that quotation marks " " and the apostrophe ' are totally separate things on the keyboard. Kill me. Thank you to the reviewer who has reminded me. I write to learn and to entertain, although it now seems that I'm learning more than I'm entertaining. Is that a good thing ?

This story has been planned all the way to the end, which is like, reaaaaaally far away. I mean, what's the point of creating such a huge world if you don't explore it? I expect this to be a moderately long fic, and hope it'll continue to interest people until then.

As some of you may have noticed, I decided not to write the front part of each chapter in italics. Figured I'd keep things from being messy as much as possible.

Comments and suggestions are welcome. Flames are welcomed with a huge hug. Please continue to point out my mistakes!

Thank you for reading this chapter. Cheers.


	6. Chapter 5 : Poison

"Sergeant Farron!" the soldier saluted smartly.

"Corporal Kenway," Lightning nodded, "Why have you called me out here?"

"Ma'am, I just want you to know that..."

"Know what? Speak up, Corporal," Lightning's patience was running thin, she just went off duty, and she promised Serah to come home early.

"I-I think I like you, ma'am!"

A momentary period of silence passed.

Lightning's eyes, blazingly cold, stared right at the stocky soldier. He had dark, neatly kept hair. His features were sharp, and he was, by average standards, quite handsome.

The sergeant nodded slowly, "_This_," she said, "_Never happened_."

With that, Lightning turned her back on the poor corporal who just had his heart broken, her bright crimson cape trailing lazily behind her.

"Third one this month..." the pinkette muttered to herself, more than slightly annoyed.

* * *

**Chapter Five** : **Poison**

When Lightning woke up, the sun had already risen, its brilliant rays illuminating the rolling plains. She was slightly sore from sleeping against the hard, rocky surface of the scarp, but did not pay much attention to the ache in her muscles. The soldier opened her eyes to the sound of a cheerily cracking fire. Fang was roasting the leftover bits of meat from the Gorgonopsid.

As the smell of meat wafted over to her nose, Lightning got up and stretched slightly, puzzled that she had taken this long to awake. She usually needed close to no sleep, and even if she did sleep, she woke before anyone else, before even the sun had made its way up into the sky. She took a single step, then stumbled slightly, feeling as though she lost control of her legs for a second.

"Took ya long enough to get up," Fang said from over the fire, "The food'll be done soon."

Lightning nodded wordlessly, picked her gunblade from the ground and walked towards the fire.

The dark-skinned woman patted the spot beside her, "Come sit."

"When did you get up?" Lightning asked, bypassing 'good morning' completely.

"Early enough," Fang grinned, "You look cute when you're sleeping, by the way."

"Shut up," the pinkette coloured slightly.

"You're welcome."

When the meat was done, Fang handed some to Lightning and they ate.

"We have to change our fighting styles," the huntress suddenly said.

Lightning arched an eyebrow at her quizzically, "Why?"

The Oerban spear-wielder nodded to the pile of discarded Gorgonopsid hide near them, "We have a few leather strips, a small piece of raw hide, and two fangs. I've salvaged what I could, but some parts are so badly damaged they'll spoil within a few days."

Without waiting to hear Lightning's response, the huntress continued, "If we're to survive this insane Gran Pulse, I'm guessing we'll have to make use of everything we can get our hands on, which means we hunt. Gran Pulse style. We end it quick, don't make the animals suffer more than they must. Kill the baddies as clean as you can, there are a few vital points on all the different baddies, I'll show 'em to you later. It's not that hard to remember."

"Alright."

"Oh and, about last night," Fang grinned, "Am I gonna get an answer out of you anytime soon?"

"_Last night_," Lightning replied in a flat voice, "_Never happened_."

"What the hell you up to now, Light?" the Oerban said, disbelief evident in her voice, "Denial or what?"

"I am not in denial," the soldier stated in a remarkably calm voice.

Fang muttered a curse under her breath, "Why is it with you it's always take one step forwards, and two steps back?"

"It's more like you never took one step in the first place," Lightning retorted coolly.

"Don't pretend you don't feel anything for me, Light. I saw it in your eyes last night. Seriously? That's getting old. You're not the cold robot you pretend to be. I've known that since I met you."

"You're being presumptious, Fang. What I feel is none of your business," the soldier replied aggresively.

"Fine then. Answer me this, do you love me?"

"Love?" Lightning scoffed, "I don't believe in such fairytales."

"You think love is a fairytale? That's harsh, even from you. What about Serah? Don't you love her?"

"This and that are two totally different things, Fang. Would you say you love Vanille in the same way that you _think _you love me?"

"I dont _think _I love you, idiot. I know I'm in love with you."

"Love is just a temporary disease affecting our minds." Seemed like Fang's words failed to make an impact.

"Maker, Light. That's messed up, not knowing love."

"What is love, then?" the soldier challenged defiantly.

"Love is something, you feel for someone else, uhh..." Fang faltered, gesturing wildly with her hands, trying to find the right words.

As seconds ticked away and Fang failed to provide the Cocoon native with an answer, Lightning smirked viciously, "See? You don't even know what you're talking about."

"Love can't be described! It's different for everyone, and everyday it's something new - "

"Don't try bullshit your way through this, Fang. You know you can't win this."

"What about last night's kiss? You responded to me," Fang grinned victoriously, positive she found one argument the pinkette could not counter.

"I was carried away, temporarily insane for a few seconds. Don't worry, it won't happen again."

"_Temporarily insane? _You're unbelievable, Light. That is crazy. More like, you were insane all along and only became rational during that few seconds," Fang stood up, hand gripping her Kain's Lance.

Seeing the huntress standing up, Lightning too got up, unsheathing her gunblade. She struck the first blow, "You know _nothing _of me, Fang," her voice dripping with poison.

Fang blocked the gunblade with ease, pushing back against the soldier, "You'd be surprised at how much I notice, my dear," the huntress darted back and stabbed forwards, "Especially since I love you."

"Again with that word. Love. Why is everyone so obsessed over it?" Lightning sidestepped the spear easily and retaliated with a slash upwards.

"Because," Fang breathed out, "We need it," she intercepted the slash and pushed it downwards.

"You're just giving bullshit answers," the soldier pulled back and swiftly pressed forwards again.

"It's bullshit to you because you refuse to acknowledge it," she blocked, then stabbed to the left, expecting Lightning to push back.

Instead, Lightning stepped to her right, positioning her own body so that her right side was forwards. Fang frowned at this. Was this a new trick? The soldier continued to fight in this position, her left arm doing almost no work. When the huntress tried to get to Lightning's left side, Lightning would become more aggressive, often straining her right arm against Fang's spear.

"Why're you doing that?" the huntress finally asked.

"Doing what?"

"Favouring your left side."

"I am not."

"Who do you think you're kidding? I've been watching you since just now."

As if to prove a point, the soldier brought her left arm forwards for a punch. The motion was sluggish and lacked power. It was a Vanille equivalent of a punch. Okay, maybe stronger than that. Nevertheless, Fang stopped it with her right hand, noticing the sari she had bound Lightning's arm with was coming undone. _Maybe the wound was hurting? But wounds have never been able to stop Lightning._

Apart from favouring her right arm, Fang also noticed the Cocoon native seemed to tire quick today, her movements getting slower and her reactions less swift. She was unable to sidestep most of the spear-wielder's quicker attacks, ending up trying to block the spear with only her right hand. Wanting to end the meaningless spar quickly, Fang used Lightning's weakness to her advantage and quickly pinned the soldier against the scarp wall.

"Okay, spit it out. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing!" the soldier lashed out.

"Nuh-uh, stay still," Fang held the pinkette against the wall with one arm and unwound Lightning's makeshift sari-bandage with her other. "Fuck, Light. Your wound - "

"What?" Lightning shoved the huntress off her brought her left arm up.

The wound had stopped bleeding, but it looked terrible. Lightning's skin had acquired a dull tone, looking as though it had been smeared with dust and blood. The ring of bite marks had a colour close to light grey, dried blood over it. The soldier flexed her left arm, finding that it was difficult to control her muscles. She felt no pain, but it was a strange numbness. She ran a finger down the arm, and found that she could only feel a little of it.

"I... can't feel much of my arm," Lightning's brows knitted together.

"Maker damn it, did the Gorgonopsid have poison in its saliva?"

The soldier met Fang's eyes unwaveringly, "Bloody Etro."

"Gorgonopsid? Poison? This place is indeed hell," Fang had a furious look, one that was trying to mask the fear she felt. "Come on. Let's get you some water. We're heading to the river."

Fang tied the leather strips, raw hide and fangs together and then tied it to her belt. She rolled her sari up and also clipped it to her belt. Apart from their weapons, these were the only belongings they had. It gave the women a lonely, wandering nomad feel. Wandering nomads must have had even more belongings.

Taking the same route as they used the previous day, the two women ran towards the clear source of water. A few monsters tried to eat them but was successfully scared off by a screaming, spear-brandishing Fang and a calmer, death stare shooting Lightning.

When they reached the river, Lightning knelt by the water. Using both hands, she gathered some water and brought it to her mouth. She drank until she was thirsty no more, and splashed her face a few times just to feel the cooling water soothe her. When she was done, she glanced at her left arm. She ran her right hand over her skin, expecting it to hurt.

As she washed away the dried blood and dead skin, all she felt was a slight moisture running down her left arm. It did not hurt, yet Lightning wished it did.

"How bad is it?" There was a look of concern on Fang's face.

"I still can't feel much."

"Need help?"

"I can handle this. You should probably wash your sari. I got a lot of blood on it."

"It's alright," Fang replied, hearing the unsaid apology. She began to unroll the blue cloth, rinsing it in the running water. Although the sun was hanging high in the sky, it was cool by the river's edge, and Fang was thankful for that. Alert for any wildlife, she cleaned her sari, frequently casting sidelong, concerned looks at the soldier beside her.

The wound had started bleeding again, but the flow was slow. The worst thing was that Lightning could not feel any pain in her arm. Lightning reached behind her to unclasp her bright red cape, deciding to use that, instead of Fang's sari to bandage her arm. When she tried to wrap it up with her right hand and her teeth, Fang moved to help her.

"It doesn't hurt to ask for help, y'know."

"I don't need help."

"Okay," replied the huntress absentmindedly.

It was awhile until they were done. Fang tried to get as much water as she could out of the sari, then folded it simply. She clipped it to her belt again, then nodded to Lightning.

"Back to our camp?" Lightning asked.

Fang looked up, estimating that they had at least five hours till dusk. Both of them had avoided thinking about what the poison in Lightning's body could do. However, it was clear that something had to be done about it. If not... She shook her head, and turned her gaze to the distant jungle, "We follow this river to the forest. I have to try find something for the wound."

Lightning nodded, trusting the Oerban's judgement, "Let's go, then."

* * *

A/N:

Hello readers!

I really don't like to "spoon feed" my readers, meaning I don't make some things too obvious. I would prefer it if you all would spend some time thinking about my fic, because I'm not going to tell you why everything happens. Sadly, some things might be taken as inconsistencies in the story or the characters if you don't think about it much.

For example, some reasons why Lightning is the way she is will be revealed in the beginning of the chapters. That means you probably won't know why Lightning is so "soft" in the beginning until I finish this whole fic to the end. Even then, if you don't link the right things together, you may completely miss the hints I drop!

I decided that I was probably expecting too much, because even I don't really spend much time thinking while reading the fics of other authors. So, I came up with a new way to interact with my readers. Every chapter, I shall write out question(s) when needed. I hope it will clarify some "inconsistencies".

For this chapter:

-Was there a purpose to showing the corporal's confession to Lightning? Why did I choose to write it?

-What hinted at the poison in Lightning's body?

Cheers.


	7. Chapter 6 : Drenched

Fang liked Lightning.

Okay, maybe more than 'like', but you get it. Fang had never met someone so beautiful, intelligent, mysterious, agile, elegant, responsible... she could go on and on. Although Lightning was always annoyed at one thing or another, Fang knew the soldier was only trying to mask her true feelings – just like the huntress herself.

Most of all, Fang liked that the soldier could not resist her. The opposite was true, too. Time and time again, they would fight, but each time both of them would quickly be buddies again. They were quick to argue, but quick to forgive too.

The best thing about conversations with Lightning was that the Cocoon native could keep up with her playful banter and even retaliate with her own witty insults. It was, unquestionably, fun to tease Lightning.

She looked across the campfire. The others were busy telling stories and bullying Hope, but Lightning did not join in. She sat apart from their group, cleaning her gunblade carefully. The soldier looked up when she sensed Fang's gaze. Meeting her eyes, Lightning gave Fang a sadistic smirk.

Fang understood the challenge. She stood up took her spear with her. Both of them quietly left their little party. Oh they had so much fun together.

* * *

**Chapter Six : Drenched**

"C'mon, we have to move faster," Fang took Lightning by the hand and they sprinted across the knee-high grass.

The clouds had started gathering above their heads not long after they set out for the forest. Like the real Gran Pulse, the weather was quite unpredictable and it had started raining quite suddenly. The pouring water chased away the heat of summer, but replaced it with its own brand of damp and cold. It was the first time it rained in this strange place since they arrived. It felt no different from the outside, but Fang said it smelled different, whatever that meant.

They had to make it to the treeline as soon as possible. Perhaps shelter might be found there. If they stayed under the rain for too long, who knows what monstrosities this hellish place could cook up for them. Lightning felt her body temperature dropping slowly, the cold somehow managing to dig into her bones. She was sure that Fang felt worse, considering the fact that the soldier had a waterproof jacket on, while Fang had close to no clothes on.

With their rapid pace, Fang was sure that they could reach the relative safety of the trees within ten minutes. A fierce wind howled through the plains, stirring up the rain and obscuring vision. All around them, the rain fell heavier, preventing them from seeing farther than a few meters. The weather was so violent Fang had to wonder if they had accidentally incurred the wrath some random god.

They kept close to the river, following it when it became almost impossible to locate the trees. Lightning stumbled on the wet grass, and Fang gripped the woman's hand firmly, casting a concerned look at her. The Cocoon native waved it off, saying it was nothing.

In a few minutes, the trees appeared in front of them, growing straight and tall. The women slowed their pace slightly, not wanting to run into an unknown place. Before they continued farther in to the forest, Lightning asked Fang, "You sure you can find the way out if we go in here?"

The Oerban grinned cockily, "You seem to have forgotten I'm a huntress."

Lightning raised an eyebrow, "Alright mistress of the forest, lead the way."

They ventured deep into the trees until the dense canopy blocked what little sunlight available to them. At least the water was not pouring down their necks so heavily now. Fang made her way through the forest confidently, keeping a stable pace. Lightning was not so used to the branches and large roots that seemed to be trying to trip her up. She stumbled along, keeping her eyes fixed on the huntress's back, determinedly keeping pace with Fang.

It seemed that the rain had made the wildlife seek shelter too. They did not see much of the animals except for the occasional movement in the undergrowth and the curious onlooker swinging on branches far above them. The flora were spectacular, some blooming colourfully in the rain, some shrinking to protect themselves from the cold water. As they progressed deeper into the forest, the trees and underbrush grew wilder and increasingly haphazard.

"What are you looking for?" Lightning asked impatiently. They had moved away from the river soon after they entered the forest, Fang claiming that it would be too difficult to follow it among the wild trees.

"A cave, duh," Fang replied, her eyes darting all over the place, seeking information about her surroundings, "We're almost there."

A few more minutes passed. Lightning felt the ground beneath her grow slightly sloped. They must already be at the base of a mountain.

"There!" Fang pointed in front of them victoriously.

The wild trees of the jungle opened up to a sort of huge rock formation. It was like a cliff, rising up high and towering above them. It was a small rock mountain. There were some vines clinging to the rocky surface, adding some colour to the dull gray surface. Where there were small ledges, wild plantlife grew.

Fang grinned, this was exactly was she was looking for.

"Now what?" Lightning stared up at the rocks, "Don't tell me you want to climb these in the rain."

"Of course not," Fang gave the Cocoon native a curious look, "We're going to find a cave."

"Right."

And so they walked. When Lightning spotted a narrow hole among the rocks, she nudged the huntress and pointed, "That okay?"

"Perfect," the huntress grinned. The opening of the cave was fairly obscured by some bushes to the side, the undergrowth of the jungle reaching even here. It was small, but still large enough for them to enter. Because of its position, almost none of the rain made it into the cave. Fang was confident this would serve them well.

Crouching down, she entered the cave, straightening when the entrance opened up into a medium sized, shallow cave. Fang drew her spear and pointed it toward the inside of the cave, sniffing at the air. When she was confident no other beast had already claimed this place for their own home, she relaxed and helped Lightning through the narrow entrance.

"Nice," Lightning remarked with an eyebrow cocked, "Reminds me of home."

"I never knew the Farrons lived in caves," Fang said in mock disbelief, earning her a punch on the shoulder.

"Alright, what next?"

"Now, you stay put here. While I, shall go get wood for a nice warm fire."

"But it's raining outside," Lightning frowned.

"Indeed it is," Fang gave the soldier a toothy grin. She took off the stuff hanging on her belt, including her sari. She left it on the ground and climbed out of the cave with only her Kain's Lance in hand, flashing a white smile at Lightning.

Although the cave was comfortably dry, Lightning was still uncomfortably wet and cold. Shivering with the chill in her body, she quickly removed her gunblade and its case from behind her legs. She stripped off her sleeveless overcoat, the green pauldron, her black gloves and her leather boots. She removed the red pack from her legs, laying it out on the floor. Glad that Fang was not around, she quickly slid the miniskirt down her legs. The soldier inspected her shirt, and was grateful that her jacket managed to keep out most of the water from her brown turtleneck.

Finally, she untied the makeshift bandage Fang and wrapped around her left arm. She spread the red cape out on the floor, trying not to think about the ugly wound.

Wearing only her black shorts and the turtleneck, she quickly arranged their belongings on the stone floor. She spread Fang's sari out and laid it on top of a large stone near the entrance. She put her own jacket next to the sari, placing her other clothing beside them.

Deciding her job was finished, she sat down against the wall to wait for Fang. A few minutes passed and the huntress did not return. Lightning thought about whether she should go search for the Oerban, then decided against it. _She can handle herself._ The soldier pulled her knees up against her and wrapped her arms around them, closing her eyes.

Lightning opened her eyes when she heard Fang's loud cursing. The huntress had returned with an armful of logs and branches, struggling under their weight and almost dropping them. Lightning got up and merely watched as Fang set the wood down with difficulty at the entrance.

When Fang swept her gaze over Lightning, she had to suppress a pleasant shudder running through her body. She certainly liked the way the soldier looked now. She unconsciously licked her lips as her eyes ran over Lightning's damp hair to her bare midriff, and down to those smooth legs. Her gaze lingered longest on the silver piercing on the soldier's navel, finding it deliciously sexy and _so defiantly Lightning._

Noticing the huntress's gaze on her body, Lightning was surprised to find that she enjoyed the Fang's attention. She smirked and snapped her fingers in front of Fang. "My face is here, by the way."

"Right. Just admirin' the view," Fang drawled.

"Oh shut up, Fang."

"Bet you were sleeping while I was out working hard," she smirked.

"Well done," Lightning remarked dryly, "You want a pat on the back?"

Fang rolled her eyes, "You'd probably give me a punch instead."

"Absolutely," Lightning replied with a straight face, "Now go start us a fire. Etro knows we need one."

"Yes ma'am."

Lightning watched with mild curiousity as Fang took her spear and began to carve off the surface of a medium sized log. Hearing the unasked question, the huntress explained, "The water might have gotten to the surface, but the inside of the wood is still dry." Picking another piece of wood, she said, "This one here comes from a type of oily tree, it'll burn whether it's dry or wet."

Nodding to the rest of the branches on the floor, Lightning asked, "Where'd you find dry branches?"

The huntress grinned, "I know the right places to look."

"Not bad. Perhaps you really might be worthy of a pat on the back."

"I feel so honoured."

"As you should be."

With the sparks from the two bladed ends of Fang's spear, a small fire was started in no time near the mouth of the cave. Fang sighed in contentment, sitting close to the fire trying to gather whatever warmth it could provide. Lightning sat opposite the huntress, keeping the fire between them. She felt the chill leave her as the heat slowly wrapped its warm embrace around her.

Fang looked up at the narrow cave opening, noting that light had completely faded. "It's dark out already, and the rain don't look like it's gonna let up anytime soon," she remarked, "Guess we'll have to go hungry for the night."

"I don't feel paticularly hungry anyway."

Fang looked up sharply at the statement. She shifted around the fire until she was beside Lightning. Stretching her hand out, she said, "Lemme' look at your arm."

Lightning used her right hand to support her left, placing in in Fang's grip. At the huntress's frown, she only said quietly, "I can't move my arm anymore."

Fang's heart dropped at the statement. The poison was progressing fast, way too fast for her. Although she said she would come into the jungle to look for a cure, she really had no idea how she was to find the right herb. That part was always handled by Vanille. Until now. Nevertheless, she had to look confident for Lightning. If the soldier started to worry, the poison's progress might escalate even more.

The huntress forced a cheery grin, "Don't worry, I'll take care of you, Light."

The corners of Lightning's mouth lifted slightly, "You suck at lying, you know."

"Really? I learned something new today then," Fang gave the soldier a half-hearted grin.

Lightning did not reply, her gaze on the bright glow of their small fire. The orange flames swirled and danced around, their movements random and imprecise, yet somehow its darting motions attracted Lightning's attention. Thinking about it now, she never really trusted anyone. She always ran away from those who tried to get close to her. Even Serah.

In her mind, people were just like fire. When you stay at the right distance, they would warm you, offer you help even. However, when you got too close to the fire, you would inevitably get burned. That was why Lightning never formed anything other that professional relationships. She preferred not to go close to any fire at all. It was easier to stay in the cold than to be burned.

For those who were persistent about themselves being 'the right one' for her, a death threat or two always sent them running with their tails between their legs. Which just goes to show how strong their 'loyalty' was. Except one. One woman who never backed down from her. The same woman who had proven to be willing to put herself in harm's way to protect her.

Lightning had to admit, the huntress was pretty amazing. Fang was not only skillful in battle, but was immensely resourceful. She was different from everyone else, somehow able to break Lightning's barriers at the most inopportune moments. A small part of the soldier had already begun to admit that Fang deserved a chance.

Lightning stiffened when Fang put an arm around her shoulder, but did not pull away.

"I don't wanna lose you, Light."

A pause.

"You won't. Don't tell me you expect me to die so easily," she reprimanded the huntress.

"I don't. I just – I don't know."

"You underestimate me," Lightning gave her a smile, "Now stop looking like Hope or I'll give you a cheer up punch."

Fang laughed at that, glad that Lightning was with her. A few moments passed before Fang resumed the conversation.

"How're you feeling, really?" Fang asked the soldier.

Lightning thought about it for a few seconds, "Quite okay, actually, apart from being really tired."

"I guess it's because you're getting old," Fang said jokingly, "Or fat."

"Shut up."

"Mmm alright, your Highness. You should get some sleep."

Lightning removed Fang's arm from around her gently, and then said, "Just what I was thinking." She moved a few more paces away from the small fire, and laid sideways, curling up and letting her eyes close. "You can continue to stare at the fire until next year if you want," she stated sleepily.

"I oould stare at _you_ until the next century or so," Fang remarked under her breath. Fortunately for her, the soldier did not hear her.

It was awhile until Lightning felt a warm presence settle down beside her, and she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A/N:

I begin with saying that the previous chapter _is _meant to frustrate. Lightning is a frustrating person. I doubt she'll just swoon over Fang if Fang told Lightning she loves her. I once read a book which really manipulated my emotions. When the characters felt bored, that the passing days were dry and dreary, I found myself very bored while reading the book too, and found out there was a purpose to this later.

I wanted to try this out – see if I could connect reader and story better by trying to let the reader feel the tense atmosphere. Did it work? Anyway, I promise not to drag out the anti-love Lightning anymore. Reading fanfics should be purely for enjoyment.

And as for me trying out the "questions" thing, it's really there just because I wanted to give my dear readers something to chew on while waiting for the next chapter. That, and I don't want people saying "WTF why Lightning wake up late?! That's not Lightning!". Yep, just an example.

Everything is pretty much obvious in this chapter so there won't be any questions this time. Oh and in case anyone was wondering, I'm not planning on giving out answers to any of the questions I ask. Just because.

Also, I don't write my stories like a huge puzzle, at least, I don't think I do. Some things are just left better unsaid. To use the previous chapter as an example, the poison must have affected Lightning in some way, but I could hardly write -

"_She took a single step, then stumbled slightly, feeling as though she had lost control of her legs for a second. Maybe the Gorgonopsid had poison in its saliva and it's affecting her muscles?" _

That didn't make sense.

For those wondering about why Fang and Lightning seem to be fighting one moment, and then all buddy-buddy the next, then arguing another second later, there's a paragraph in the beginning explaining just that. Their relationship is like that. They have always been behaving like this even during when they were l'Cie. According to me, anyway.

I don't really give myself a deadline to upload chapters, although I do try and cap it at a week. I usually spend a few days thinking about the next chapter and Fang and Lightning in general. Then I'd write everything in one or two days. So it's actually pretty random.

Cheers. *noms on cookies and pie*


	8. Chapter 7 : ?

A/N:

Alright listen up fellas'! I'm sorry if my story was so boring that imaginary grammar mistakes decided to steal the spotlight! I'm tired of listenin' to your complaints (beautiful reviews), so I've decided to **punish **(reward?) you! With this chapter!

Cheers!

* * *

**Chapter Seven : ?**

A presence blazed in to existence at the edge of its consciousness. It flickered vividly, drawing the fal'Cie's attention to it.

_Ah, yet another hero comes to claim his prize._

The fal'Cie reached out and grasped the foreign soul, drawing it closer to His core. Once **He** got a closer look at the presence, its interest was piqued. It was not _presence, _but _presences. _Two blazing fires. So closely linked together that it seeemed to be only one. _Interesting... _But blazing or no, compared to the mighty incandescence emanating from the powerful fal'Cie, encompassing all.

**He** searched them, and found Etro's mark on the two souls.

_Oh? Had the goddess finally decided to employ a more active role in the proceedings of the fal'Cie?_

**He** was amused. Greatly so. _Etro's champions... _Somehow the title was immensely fitting for both beings. Perhaps they would prove to be more _entertaining _than the rest.

However, there was something strange about them. Both presences carried the brand of Anima.

_Most curious.. _It was Anima who gave them their Focus, yet Etro who sent them to this eternity? **He **was confident now **He **would enjoy playing with them.

First he sang a song of Binding, confining them to this eternity. It would not do for them to wander to the Outside by accident. The song served another purpose – to restrain any stray memories. The song would make sure their minds did not linger long on memories that would compel them to return to the Outside.

_Hmm.. but these two were strong, they resisted, however feebly. They might shrug off the song completely one day, but until that time arrived they were **His **burden to carry._

It was time to perform what **He **was created to do. For that was what it was. A dazzling performance, sang by none other than the glorious fal'Cie.

**He **sang a song of Weaving, notes flowing high and low, forming melodies that were impossible yet achieved by the fal'Cie. The song weaved in and out from the Eternity, gleaning energy from the Outside. It grew denser, finally solidifying and achieving a pleasing shape.

_Another Beginning is formed..._

The fal'Cie nudged one of the two radiant presences toward the newly weaved Beginning. The other soul followed, like two magnets that were created just for attracting each other.

_Curious. _Using a tendril of **His **awareness, he tried to separate the two. It proved to be hard. They were too closely intertwined, too intimately connected to be broken apart. Seeing the strength of their bond, the fal'Cie decided to let them be, lest permanent damage was done to their mind. For this once, never mind tradition then.

Nudging them in the right direction, **He **herded them and let them float away from **His **Eternity to their own Beginning.

The Beginning had nothing. So the fal'Cie created land. It had no life, so the fal'Cie sprinkled seeds of trees. **He **did not spend much time on perfecting the Beginning. It would End soon enough. **He **would gather information first, then decide how best to proceed next.

The majestic being watched with disinterest as the two bright souls awakened, casting a far greater illumination than the fal'Cie would have expected. **He **followed them, constructing a database as he went along.

It seemed that one of them could sense his presence. _Strange, but nonetheless impressive. _He receeded to his own Eternity until only a few strands of his awareness remained in their Beginning.

When one of the souls indicated that the trees looked artificial, the fal'Cie would have blushed, if it could. It seems that **He **had underestimated the two. The illusion had not settled well with them.

"...I wish it would look like Gran Pulse, and have all the beasties like in Gran Pulse, then I could show you how amazing my home is..."

Those words gained the fal'Cie's full attention. **He **had his answer now. Their world would be of Gran Pulse. It seemed fitting, and the fal'Cie was confident that the illusion of Gran Pulse would succeed to ensnare them in their own mind.

The fal'Cie sang a song of Sleep. The melody gently running through their Beginning, spreading the effects throughout their world. They resisted, but it proved to be futile as they succumbed to** His **beautiful performance. The two flickering lights dimmed in to a gentle glow.

**He **began **His **work, singing the song that had existed since the dawn of Time, the hymn of Creation. **He **breathed life to the phantoms in **His **mind, excepting none, down to each blade of grass. The omnipotent fal'Cie, like a god **He **was, took special care in completing **His **work, lest the two unique souls tried to resist **His **charm.

**He **slipped **Himself **to each drizzle of the rain, each gust of the wandering wind, each exhalation of every beast, everything. **He **was so intrinsically connected to their world that it could be **His **world too. Nevertheless, it was a precious gift to the two consciousness, whether they realised it or no.

_Thus, a new Eternity is born._


End file.

Final Fantasy XIII, Adventure, Romance